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(No Model.)

O. S. SIMPSON.

FOLDING FLOWER STAND.

No. 581,376. Patented Apr. 27,- 1897.

1 FIG 5.

"fil- PATENT EEicE.

CHARLES SAMUEL SIMPSON, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

FOLDING FLOWER-STAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,376, dated April27, 1897.

Application filed March 18, 1896- Serial No. 683,046- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES SAMUEL SIMP- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldingFlower- Stands; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of flowerstands which may be foldedso as to be reduced to. a compact form suitable for packing and shippingor for stowing away when not desired for use; and it consists of certainforms of construction by which the folding is accomplished and otherimprovements, which will be more fully described hereinafter and pointedout in the claims.

My objects are, first, to provide a folding flower-stand which may bequickly folded into the smallest possible space and a convenient formfor shipment or stowage; second, to provide a flower-stand which may beconstructed of metal having base and shelves to contain water; and withthese objects in view my invention is cheaply manufactured, accomplishesthe above objects, and is durable and economical in use.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation; Fig.2, a top plan of shelves; Fig. 3, a cross-sectional view of the shelves,showing the legs in perspective; and Fig. l is a longitudinal sectionalview of a leg.

In constructing my invention (represented by A) I usually make theshelves B, O, and D of galvanized iron, with the edges turned up and allthe joints soldered so as to form a basin on each shelf for holdingwater, as this dispenses with the use of saucers under the flower-pots.

The shelves may be of any convenient number, and in the cheaper or lessexpensive kinds other material is used and painted. Each shelf may besuitably provided with a valve and drip-pipe, or in some cases I may usemerely a drain-hole and stopper. The

legs are generally four in number, but in some cases I use but three,and a greater number may be used for stands of larger sizes.

The top shelf has a semicircular front and a straight back, and theothers are semicircular at the front and have the central parts cutawayso that they have a semicircular form at the inside, the bottom shelfbeing slightly larger inside than the outside of the one next above, andthis being larger than the one next above it. The ends are squared, sothat when folded the extreme back presents a straight line across thestand. The ends of each lower shelf are connected by a suitableframe-piece similar to the turned-up edge or flange of the shelves. sideof the circle of each shelf except the upper one and to the frame-piecesacross the back are spreaders or rods G G H S, hinged to pieces I,whichare secured thereto. The under side of each shelf above is provided witha suitable eye or staple J, and the spreaders have a hook at the freeend adapted to engage an eye. When folding the stand, the hooks arefirst disengaged from the eyes and laid down out of the way. WVhen inuse, the Spreaders maintain the shelves at a proper distance apart. Itwill be understood that when the stand is folded the bottoms of all theshelves will be on the same plane, so that the whole will occupy thesmallest possible space.

The legs are metallic, preferably of round section, and are madetelescoping. The upper end P is hinged to the under side of the uppershelf and the part L below passes through a sleeve K 0, having a hole bywhich it is hinged to a suitable bracket-ear at the under side of thenext shelf below. A like sleeve K, provided with an ear 0, is attachedto the under side ofthe next shelf below, being the third from the top,or where more shelves are usedv these sleeves are attached to the bottomshelf and the part L extends downward through the lower sleeve. Thelower ends E E F F of the legs are smaller than the parts L and areslidable longitudinally inside of them, the bottom end of each beingprovided with a caster B. When folded, these lower ends slide inward, sothat the length of the leg is no greater than the radius of the circledescribed At the inner The sleeve has an ear.

by the combined shelves. When the legs are extended, a small pin M isinserted through suitable holes below the sleeve K in the part L and theextensible part E, securing them in position. In attaching the legs tothe upper shelf the point of connection is such that the legs whenunfolded extend outward at an angle, an d when the shelves are foldedthe hinged sleeves permit the legs to slide through them and adjustthemselves at the under side of the shelves, their lower ends radiatingoutward from an approximate center toward the outward circle.

It is obvious that minor details of construction may be changed andvarious materials may be used or the edges of the shelves may bemultisided instead of semicircular, as may seem desirable, withoutdeparting from the intent and spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described flower-stand, comprising in combination a seriesof semicircular shelves having raised edges, and means for drawing offwater from said shelves; a series of hook-spreaders hinged to each ofsaid shelves except the uppermost and engaging with suitable eyesattached to the next adjacent shelf above for the purpose of securingsaid shelves at a proper distance apart when in use; a series ofextensible or telescoping legs hinged at their upper ends to the uppershelf and radially extending outward toward the periphery of the arcs; aseries of sleeves pivot-ally hinged to the others of said shelvesthrough which the said legs may slide when said stand is folded,substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

2. In a folding flower-stand, the combination of a series of shelves ofsemicircular form having raised edges capable of containing water, saidshelves being of such size that the outer periphery of each is smallerthan the inner circle of the next adjacent shelf so that when foldedneither shelf will overlap either of the next adjacent shelves but willlie approximately fiat on a plain surface; a series of telescoping orextensible legs hinged to the upper shelf of said stand and slidablelongitudinally through sleeves hinged to the lower shelves,substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

3. The combination, in a folding flowerstand, of a series ofsemicircular shelves, a series of spreaders consisting of hinged hooksproviding means for securing the several shelves in position relative toeach other, the pivoted sleeves at the under side of each shelf, theseries of telescoping legs pivoted to the top shelf, radiatin gtherefrom and passing slidably through said sleeves, substantially asshown and described for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix m ysignature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SAMUEL SIMPSON.

Vitnesses:

JNo. S. THURMAN, E. T. SILvIUs.

